Grosses

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Takes First, But Opens Below PredecessorMay 20, 2013 11:48 AM

by Daniel Garris

Paramount's Star Trek Into Darkness opened in first place this weekend with $70.17 million. However, the second installment of the re-launched sci-fi series opened significantly below wide-spread expectations, including those of the studio. Star Trek Into Darkness also failed to match the $75.20 million opening weekend take of 2009's Star Trek (which bumps up to $79.20 million when including the $4 million that film earned from late night Thursday screenings). While a sequel opening slightly below its predecessor isn't the end of the world, it is especially underwhelming in this case given that Star Trek Into Darkness had the added advantage of higher priced 3D admissions this time around and was following in the footsteps of a very well received previous film.

With an additional $13.54 million on Thursday (which included $2 million from Wednesday night IMAX showings), Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $83.70 million through four days of release. The last minute release date change clearly hurt the film's Thursday performance, which made the film's weekend performance even that more important. Through four days of release, Star Trek Into Darkness is running 3.5 percent behind the $86.71 million take of Star Trek, 33 percent behind the $125.18 million four-day start of 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and 50 percent stronger than the $55.93 million four-day take of 2009's Terminator Salvation.

Within the softer than expected start, there were some promising signs for Star Trek Into Darkness this weekend. On the heels of Friday's $21.62 million performance, the film did increase a healthy 25 percent on Saturday to gross $26.95 million and generated an opening weekend to Friday ratio of 3.24 to 1. The film's A rating on CinemaScore was also an encouraging early sign. With that said, holding up well going forward will be no easy task for the film given the upcoming competition it will soon be facing from Universal's Fast & Furious 6, Warner's The Hangover Part III and to a lesser extent Sony's After Earth. The upcoming competition from Fast & Furious 6 and The Hangover Part III likely had an effect on Star Trek Into Darkness already this weekend, as moviegoers anticipating either or both of those films may have simply decided to pass on Star Trek Into Darkness. The continued strength of Disney's Iron Man 3 certainly isn't helping matters for Star Trek Into Darkness either.

It should be noted that Star Trek Into Darkness is performing stronger than its predecessor overseas. After grossing $40 million this weekend, Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $80.5 million to date overseas. That places the early global total for Star Trek Into Darkness at $164.2 million.

Iron Man 3 fell 51 percent to place in second this weekend with $35.77 million. Given the new competition Iron Man 3 faced from Star Trek Into Darkness, this weekend's hold was quite respectable. It could also be a sign of the blockbuster superhero sequel being able to display solid holding power going forward, even in the face of increased competition. In comparison, 2010's Iron Man 2 fell 49 percent in its third weekend to gross $26.36 million, while last year's Marvel's The Avengers fell 46 percent to take in $55.64 million. Iron Man 3 has grossed a terrific $337.66 million through 17 days of release. That places the film 34.5 percent ahead of the $251.03 million 17-day take of Iron Man 3 and 26 percent behind the $457.67 million 17-day gross of The Avengers.

Iron Man 3 added $40.2 million to its overseas haul this weekend. That brings the film's overseas total to $736.2 million and current global haul to a mighty $1.074 billion.

Warner's The Great Gatsby displayed respectable holding power as well this weekend. The Baz Luhrmann directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio fell 52 percent to place in third with $23.94 million. The Great Gatsby continues to exceed expectations with a ten-day start of $90.68 million. That places The Great Gatsby 20 percent ahead of the $75.54 million ten-day take of 2010's Shutter Island (which fell 45 percent in its second weekend to gross $22.67 million). Going forward, The Great Gatsby will hope to continue to serve as an alternative to the early summer's action fare.

The Great Gatsby launched overseas this weekend; grossing $43.0 million from 49 foreign territories. That places the film's current global haul at $133.7 million.

Weekend Actuals (Domestic) Fri, Jul. 8 - Sun, Jul. 10

Wide (1000+)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Transformers: Dark of the Moon$47,103,276-52%4,10719$11,469$261,078,7002Paramount / DreamWorks
2Horrible Bosses$28,302,165--3,040--$9,310$28,302,1651Warner Bros. / New Line
3Zookeeper$20,065,617--3,482--$5,763$20,065,6171Sony / Columbia
4Cars 2$15,212,015-42%3,990-125$3,813$148,831,5303Disney
5Bad Teacher$8,914,412-39%2,962-87$3,010$78,671,8193Sony / Columbia
6Larry Crowne$5,936,405-55%2,9763$1,995$26,197,6902Universal
7Super 8$4,838,205-39%2,292-796$2,111$118,069,5465Paramount
8Monte Carlo$3,800,604-49%2,4730$1,537$16,125,5072Fox
9Mr. Popper's Penguins$3,154,435-43%1,996-865$1,580$58,051,2094Fox
10Green Lantern$3,147,225-52%2,015-1265$1,562$109,731,1814Warner Bros.
11Bridesmaids$2,628,285-28%1,102-287$2,385$158,142,0309Universal

Limited (100 — 999)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Midnight in Paris$2,634,785-26%819-39$3,217$38,579,0528Sony Pictures Classics
2X-Men: First Class$1,473,384-50%847-755$1,740$142,090,1216Fox
3The Hangover Part II$1,198,064-50%835-733$1,435$250,817,2477Warner Bros.
4Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides$1,054,694-52%622-851$1,696$236,250,4798Disney
5Kung Fu Panda 2$865,109-48%650-631$1,331$159,014,4307Paramount / DreamWorks
6The Tree of Life$793,706-26%2379$3,349$9,014,4677Fox Searchlight
7Thor$573,30843%31545$1,820$178,739,97110Paramount
8Beginners$553,422-7%15547$3,570$3,250,7496Focus
9Rio (2011)$413,317-8%272-36$1,520$141,282,07613Fox
10Buck$386,172-20%15120$2,557$1,703,8314IFC Films
11A Better Life$330,296238%153142$2,159$559,5503Summit
12Fast Five$261,485-21%241-61$1,085$208,782,68511Universal
13Soul Surfer$131,074-20%160-45$819$43,685,47314Sony / TriStar
14Water for Elephants$124,765-27%168-66$743$58,290,36612Fox
15Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family$99,104-12%112-28$885$53,200,43712Lionsgate
16Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer$81,230-40%171-50$475$14,148,5175Relativity Media
17Something Borrowed$66,301-34%113-78$587$38,830,88210Warner Bros.
18The Lincoln Lawyer$62,017-30%106-32$585$57,906,77817Lionsgate

Platform (1 — 99)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Le Sens de l'humour$466,499--89--$5,242$719,9361Alliance Films
2Delhi Belly$375,225-36%901$4,169$1,232,6102UTV Communications
3Born to Be Wild 3D$241,8888%481$5,039$8,705,68414Warner Bros. / IMAX
4Hubble 3D$127,28023%29-1$4,389$26,937,02869Warner Bros. / IMAX
5Page One: Inside the New York Times$116,222-7%5214$2,235$429,7664Magnolia Pictures
6Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest$111,982--4--$27,996$111,9821Sony Pictures Classics
7The Trip (2011)$104,283-35%38-2$2,744$951,1795IFC Films
8Cave of Forgotten Dreams$82,074-25%48-12$1,710$4,800,39311IFC Films
9Insidious$78,69870%8111$972$53,722,47515FilmDistrict
10Sea Rex: Journey To A Prehistoric World$64,28026%110$5,844$3,473,136613D Entertainment
11Gerry (2011)$49,899-61%45-33$1,109$1,760,0094Entertainment One Films
12Terri$44,742-31%82$5,593$144,6332IDP/ATO Pictures
13Under the Sea 3D$44,68110%152$2,979$29,089,361126Warner Bros. / IMAX
14Murder 2$41,989--26--$1,615$41,9891Eros International
15Turtle: The Incredible Journey$39,068-2%237$1,699$184,2963Hannover House
16Incendies$35,703-26%32-10$1,116$6,597,65012Sony Pictures Classics
17The Double Hour$33,176-15%283$1,185$1,354,64913IDP/Samuel Goldwyn
18Bride Flight$30,80424%235$1,339$279,0655Music Box Films
19Trigun: Badlands Rumble$29,201--12--$2,433$29,0211Eleven Arts
20Source Code$29,022-54%41-25$708$54,696,90215Summit
21Project Nim$25,820--4--$6,455$25,8201Roadside Attractions
22The Names of Love$25,106-7%113$2,282$120,5233Music Box Films
23Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness$20,247--1--$20,247$20,2471International Film Circuit
24Queen to Play$20,244-8%9-1$2,249$406,65015Zeitgeist Films
25Trollhunter$19,222-53%19-2$1,012$150,0685Magnolia / Magnet
26Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil$18,524-37%42-26$441$10,106,89911Weinstein Company
27Double Dhamaal$18,117-79%20-21$906$529,6303Reliance Big Pictures
28Conan O'Brien Can't Stop$17,537-58%10-7$1,754$223,9593Abramorama
29Submarine$16,832-38%19-1$886$377,8076Weinstein Company
30African Cats$15,693-50%23-7$682$15,415,27012Disneynature
31Win Win$14,07426%17-1$828$10,164,97317Fox Searchlight
32Bill Cunningham New York$13,425-21%9-2$1,492$1,394,15817Zeitgeist Films
33Rejoice and Shout$12,09572%71$1,728$72,3336Magnolia Pictures
34In a Better World$12,0750%18-10$671$923,55615Sony Pictures Classics
35Passione: A Musical Adventure$10,850-42%20$5,425$71,6663Abramorama
36Jane Eyre (2011)$10,368-26%21-5$494$11,232,82518Focus
3713 Assassins$9,122-43%14-8$652$763,76011Magnolia / Magnet
38Meek's Cutoff$9,0630%12-3$755$911,66314Oscilloscope
39Everything Must Go$8,8227%17-2$519$2,663,0009Roadside Attractions
40Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules$8,260-30%19-12$435$52,691,00916Fox
41The Salvation Poem$6,146--2--$3,073$898,69739CanZion Films
42Beginning of the Great Revival$6,103-77%8-15$763$147,5833China Lion Film
43The Conspirator$6,055-19%150$404$11,510,59913Roadside Attractions
44The Sleeping Beauty$5,973--1--$5,973$5,9731Strand Releasing
45Rapt$5,872--1--$5,872$7,8511Lorber Films
46City of Life and Death$5,515363%41$1,379$87,7409Kino International
47The Ledge$5,176--2--$2,588$5,1761IFC Films
4835 and Ticking$4,50248%42$1,126$85,0908Image Entertainment
49The Man Who Fell to Earth (2011 re-issue)$4,310-41%1-1$4,310$31,5813Rialto Pictures
50Chillar Party$4,155--7--$594$4,1551UTV Communications
51Jig$4,120--1--$4,120$129,4774Screen Media Films
52Viva Riva!$3,65223%50$730$43,8805Music Box Films
53Potiche$3,618--3--$1,206$1,611,83816Music Box Films
54The Last Mountain$3,595--3--$1,198$90,4256Dada Films
55Hobo with a Shotgun$3,355-47%6-4$559$690,66510Magnolia / Magnet
56Farmageddon$3,218--1--$3,218$12,8974Undefined
57The Perfect Host$3,212-57%31$1,071$14,8702Magnolia Pictures
58Blank City$3,196169%32$1,065$112,49914Insurgent Releasing
59How To Live Forever$2,973341%10$2,973$40,8369Variance Films
60The Music Never Stopped$2,562331%4-1$641$253,89917Roadside Attractions
61My Perestroika$2,31435%3-1$771$238,44016International Film Circuit
62Beautiful Boy$2,138-14%3-1$713$73,1586Anchor Bay Films
63Hesher$2,12824%1-1$2,128$373,9199Wrekin Hill Entertainment
64Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff$1,994457%10$1,994$14,0969Strand Releasing
65Winter in Wartime$1,771-58%40$443$530,04817Sony Pictures Classics
66If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front$1,323-38%20$662$25,5463Oscilloscope
67Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives$1,315--2--$658$178,45319Strand Releasing
68The Art of Getting By$1,306-37%5-2$261$1,429,2604Fox Searchlight
69Octubre$1,110109%10$1,110$19,65910New Yorker Films
70Road to Nowhere$846-67%3-1$282$27,8925Monterey Media
71The Greatest Movie Ever Sold$751-33%85$94$625,95612Sony Pictures Classics
72Circo$625--1--$625$69,72515First Run Features
73The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)$618-15%10$618$139,25415Lorber Films
74The Robber$419--1--$419$69,90811Kino International
75The Human Resources Manager$362--1--$362$63,70919Film Movement
76Poetry$168--1--$168$349,89922Kino International
77Leap Year (2011)$156-94%1-1$156$9,2513Strand Releasing
78The Arbor$119--1--$119$13,37311Strand Releasing
79Kings of Pastry$79-91%10$79$336,17443First Run
80Small Town Murder Songs$48-93%1-2$48$24,0277Monterey Media